Road roller



W. H. BRAMBLE ROAD ROLLER `arch 17, 1942.

Filed March 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 17, 1942. w. H. BRAMBLE ROADROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March l5, 1940 Patented Mar. 17, 1942Unirse sr'rs "orties ROAD ROLLER Application March 15, 1940, Serial No.324,223 In Great Britain March 18, 1939 s claims.v (c1. sii-50) In orderhowever that the roller may be capable of negotiating hills, that is tosay, that the driving wheels should be capable of obtaining suliicientgrip on the road surface to allow the machine to pass up inclines, it isnecessary so to construct the machine that about two-thirds of the totalweight thereof comes on the hind or driving wheels. In present daymachines it has not been possible to combine this feature with even anapproximate equality of unit pressure on the driving and steering wheelsrespectively. In *s other words with machines as at present constructed,uniform distribution of compressive power which is desirable forobtaining the smooth finish of a road, is not compatible with the besthill climbing ability.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby thedistribution of weightv between the front and hind wheels may be variedat will without the necessity of attaching or detaching any ballastweights at the time the variation is desired.

According to this invention, in a road roller comprising a front rollerunit, by which the roller is steered and hind driving rollers arrangedon either side of the front roller unit, there is provided a ballastweight; which is movably suspended on the frame or chassis soas to becapable of adjustment from a position within the wheel or roller base toone which is in alignment with or beyond the hind axle and so arrangedthat its position can be variedA either automatically or throughsuitable mechanical means 4to obtain either an even distribution ofweight upon the said Wheels or a greater or lesser weight upon thedriving or steering wheels.

Preferably the ballast weight is mounted between the side members of theroller frame, and is capable of movement by means of a rope androtatable drum mechanism means being provided for locking the weight ina predetermined position.

The ballast weight may be in a single piece or formed in severalsections suitably secured together and may be mounted on wheels orrollers to reduce the elfort required to move the ballast weight.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as applied toa motor driven road roller, but it may be applicable to steam rollers.

Figure 1 shows in Vertical section the ballast CII ` by the main roller.

weight, mounted on the `side members of the roller frame, only a portionof the frame being shown.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the mechanism according to theinventiomFigure 3 being a vertical section on the line III-III Figure 2.Figure 4 is a detailed front elevational view of the bearing and bearingspindle for operating mechanical means for moving the weight, `and YFigure 5 is a detailed side elevational View of the parts shown inFigure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the road roller comprises a chassis frameindicated generally at A having the usual front roller B and hindrollers C constituting the driving rollers and arranged to rotate inpaths on either side of that followed The front roller B, by which themachine is steered is suspended from a subframe D itself mounted tooscillate about a fore and aft axis in a cradle E carried by thesteering post F.

According to this invention aroad roller, such as described, is providedwith a ballast weight l so that the distribution of the weight asbetween the front roller and hind driving rollers can be varied asrequired to suit conditions. The ballast weight l is adjustably carriedon the chassis frame so as to be movable from a position Within thewheel base to one which may be immediately below and where it is inalignment with the hind roller axle. Preferably provision is made forthe weight to be movable to a position beyond the hind axle. The channelsection members 2 which form part of the chassis frame provide suitableguides or a trackway for the ballast weight. Attached to the members 2are cover-plates for the protection of the engine and other parts. Theballast weight is, preferably as shown, supported on axles 3 providedwith rollers 4 which run on the inturned flanges 5 of the beams 2.

Anchored to the weight I is a rope 6, e. g., a p y wire rope or cablewhich winds on a winding drum 'l carried on a spindle 8 capable ofrevolving in bearings ,9, I0, said spindle being rotated by means of anoperating element comprising a crank handle Il which is remote from anyof a number of different positions of the ballast component on .thetrackway and which is hereshown The bearings 9, It, are respec-4contracted and this is effected by aV clamping screw I2 by manipulationof which the split bearing lil can be contracted on to the spindle 8 andhold the spindle against rotation when the weight has been moved to thedesired position, hence securing the weight. At the end of the rollerframe remote from the rope drum, a pulley I3 is provided around whichthe rope passes to be anchored at this other end to the weight I.Y The.

pulley I3 is carried on an adjustable mounting I4 so that any slacknessin the rope may be takeni fromV rattling owing to vibration when theroller is inr operation, the weight is provided atboth sides withinclined faces I5, adjustable screws Il being u up. In order to preventthe Weight I provided in the anges 5 of the roller frame so that whenthe weight is moved .to eitherend lof the roller frame the appropriatepair of screws A may be adjusted to bear on the inclined faces of movedtowards the steering wheels,`equalising as far as possible the Weightper unit of width 4on the machine wheels, whilst when greater weight isneeded on the driving Wheels, as for example when climbing hills orwhen. operating a scarier,y the ballastweight will be moved inthe frametowards the -driving wheels.

What I claim is:

l. `A roadroller, comprisingjincombination a.

frame, a frontsteeringroller component connected to the frame, a hinddriving roller component connected to the frame the said frame being.formed` with guides extending `longitudinally of the roller, a ballastweight movably suppor-ted by said guides,v a cable connected totheballast weight, a rotatabledrum to which the cable ,.is.connected,meansto rotate the drum to move the ballast weight longitudinally tochange the .distribution .of .weight on Athe two. roller com.Yponents,,and..means. to lockY theA drum. against.

rotation. i

2..` A. road.-roller .comprising in. combination .a frame, a.frontsteering roller. component con.-

nectedfto the. frame, ahindidriving rollerY com-.-v

ponent .connected-Lto the .frame the said frame beingl formed..with.guides.extending longitucli.

nally. of .the roller,aballastlweight movably supe ported Yby said.guidea. a. cable` ,connected .to the ballast Weight, ya rotatable'drum..to., which. the.. cable is connected,.meansto rotate -the.drum.to movethe ballast weight longitudinally tochange the distribution ofweight onthetworollercome,

ponents, and. means l tov lock the .weight .against v movement..

SIA road roller comprising in combination. a

frame a front steeringroller component. con.-YV

nected Ato the. frame, a hind driving. roller. come ponent connected tothe frame the said,frame.be. ing formed with guidesextendinglongitudinally of the roller, a ballast weightmovably. supported,bysaidguides, va cablev connected to tneb'allast weight,` arotatable'drum. to which the..cable'is connected, meansto rotate thedrum tomove the. ballast weight'longitudinally to change thedistribution of weight on the two roller com'- ponents, and meansto'lock the weight'against movement, the said means comprising screwoperated devices'to engage sloping faces formed on the Weight.

4. A road roller comprising a frame, a front rollen means supportingsaid front roller from the frame for steering movement, hind drivingrollers, means supporting the said hind driving rollers Vfrom the frameand at each side of the frontv roller, a longitudinal guide on the frameand-extending from va position within the Wheel base of -the roller atleast to one of alignment with, the hind rollers,l a ballast componentwhich is movable on and supported by the guide, and meansto hold thecomponent in a selected position on the guide.

5.`A road rollercomprising a frame, a front roller., means supportingsaid front roller. from the framefor steering-movement, hind lrdriving,rollers, means supportingthe said hind driving A;

rollers from the frame and at each side ofthe front rollers, alongitudinal guide on the frame.. and extending from a position withinthe Wheel.,

base of the roller-at least to one of .alignment with the hind roller, aballast component which is movable on and supported by said guide, meansoperatively connected to said component and be-` ing adapted for manualoperation for moving the component on said guide to Vary thedistribution of vWeight on the front andl rear rollers, and means tosecure the component in the position to which it is moved.

6. A road roller comprising'a frame, a front roller means, a hind rollermeans, means mounting'said front and hind roller means on the.

frame, said frame having a trackway extending fore and aft of the frame,a ballast component mounted for free fore-and-aft movement on thetrackway; and means for shifting said component fore-and-aft on saidtrackway including an operating element remote from .said component inany of a number of different positions of the latter, and meansextending longitudinally of said trackway and connectingsaid operating4element to said component.

7. A road roller comprising a frame, a front roller means, a hind rollermeans, meansmounting said front and hind roller means on the frame, saidframe having atrackway extending fore and aft of the frame, a ballastcomponentY mounted for free fore-andaft movement on the trackway, andmeans for shifting said compone.

ent fore-and-aft on said trackway including any operating elementmounted on said vframe in Xed position longitudinally thereof, and aconnection between said operating element andsaid com-- 8. A roadfrollercomprisingga frame, afront roller means, a hind roller means, meansmounting said front and hind roller means on the frame, said framehaving a trackway extending fore and'aft of the frame, a ballastcomponent mounted for free fore-and-aft movement on the trackway, andmeans for shifting said .component fore-and-afton saidtrackway includinga winding member journaled on the frame, a pulleyjournaled on the frameVand longitudinally spaced from said winding member, and. a cableconnected to said component and being trained around said pulley andwinding device.

WILLIAM HENRY BRAMBLE'L;

